The Woodsman

79/100

Photo by Matthew Murphy

By James Ortiz and Jen Loring. Directed by James Ortiz and Claire Karpen. At New World Stages Through May 29

Critics are, for the most part, in love with The Woodsman, quick to make favorable comments about its reversal of Wicked's approach to a story about Oz before Dorothy, especially how it omits the spectacle and in its stead focuses on the storytelling. Citing its visual genius, inventive use of puppetry, thoughtful performances, and earnest heart at the center of the story, critics can't seem to stop finding things to praise. Almost every critic, however, pointed out that its usage of sounds, music, and a limited amount of words creates problems for the work as a whole. While some (Variety's Marian Stasio) found the music rather tiresome and the nonverbal cacophony of sounds to be grating, others (Talkin' Broadway's Matthew Murray) found the speeches at the beginning and end of the play to be overly self-important and detrimental to the work as a whole. Either way, critics found this to be a throughly impressive night at the theatre, though many have decidedly said that it is not so enjoyable for very young children.



The Hollywood Reporter 87/100
(Frank Scheck) "The Woodsman is not really for children — although more sophisticated youngsters would certainly appreciate it — having more the feel of a Grimm fairy tale than the classic MGM musical. But unlike its tragic titular hero, it has plenty of heart.”

Talkin' Broadway 85/100
(Matthew Murray) "Silence, precisely enough articulated, can indeed speak volumes. And it does, time and time again, in The Woodsman, the haunting, lovely, and unforgettable puppet-fairy-tale extravaganza that just opened at New World Stages.”

Time Out New York 80/100
(Raven Snook) "Emotions are communicated through simple gestures, grunts and glances, not one wasted. Touching on mortality, futility and fate, The Woodsman is a grown-up fairy tale that proves happiness is a worthwhile goal, even if it doesn’t last ever after."

NBC New York 75/100
(Robert Kahn) "Like Broadway powerhouse 'Wicked,' 'The Woodsman' is inspired by the writing of L. Frank Baum, but the similarities stop there. 'The Woodsman' will end where 'The Wizard of Oz' begins. We have the consolation of knowing there are better days ahead for our rusty friend.”

Variety 70/100
(Marilyn Stasio) "The puppeteers are proficient and the effects are exquisite. The witch flies in on a bad wind, always in the company of the evil-looking crows that serve as her eyes and ears. But the life-sized tin puppet of the woodsman (tenderly manipulated by Ortiz) is heartbreaking.”